Amusement apparatus



April 21,. 1925.

S. A. DE WALTOFF ET AL AMUSEMENT APPARATUS L '4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 2A, 192,0

April 21, 1925.

. s. A. DE wAL-roFF ET AL AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed Nov. 24, 1920 4 Sh'tsSheet 4 N NM.

Q d k Y il. Z ,Pw/ E? Patented Apr. 21, 1925 UNITED# STATES- GFFICE.

sAMUnL A.' DE WzrLroFrANn LEaoYl H. MDANIB'L,

Assrenos'sf rro sHIiuivIrE Auro co.,` INC., A@ CORPORATION orf connection@ AMfUsEIvENr APPARATUS.

Application' ledNovember 24, 1920.4 Serial Noi 426,231'.

To all w/mmfz't may concern: 4

Be it known that SAMUF. A. nn VALTorF andLnRoY H: MGDAN'IEL, citizens of; theV United States of America,`residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have linvented new and useful Improvements in Amusement Apparatus, of which the following isa` specification.

The object-of the invention is to 'provide anl amusement apparatus of the type of a merry-go-round wherein cars` or carrying units for occupants or riders` traverse an arbitrary path, andmore particularly toV provide adevice of this type wherein the cars or'carrying units` instead of` receiving progressive or track Vtraversing movement under the iniuence ofa `centralfor unitary driving power, are independently operated and have individual'means"of propulsion from a central station= ifdesired,but under individual control by' the occupants ofthe cars or vehicles and under such` conditions that an independently irregular rotary or circulatory mo'vementfmay be followed by the several cars in addition to the orbital movement described by reason of traversing run-way; and with these objects in view the invention consists in a construction and combination of parts offwhich a preferred embodiment is shown in the accompanying` drawings, wherein g- Figure 1 is a plan view-of an apparatus embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a side view of the same.

Figure 3 is a detail plan-view of oneof the cars or carrying units.r

Fig-urea is a vertical section -on the line 4--4 of Figui-e3.

Figure 5 is a detail horizontalsection on the plane indicated bythe line5-5 offFigure 4.

lll-igurefGV is a vertical section on the lineX The apparatus consists essentially-of a track or run-way formedfby the floor of motor 17, a drivin-g element 18 and trolley wheels 19 and20 respectively in cont-act withV said trolley conductors for normally closing the circuit-including the motor, to the end that regardless of the position kof the car al1-operative contact of the trolley wheels with the conductorsmay be' mailitained to insure the operation of the motor and hence the actuation of the driving element to insure progress of the car or unit.

The car while obviously subject to modification in construction to suitthe preferences' of the builder and the proposed capacity thereof so far as' the number of p 1oposed occupants is concerned is shown in the drawing as having a seat 21 and seatback 22 within convenient reachfofwhich is arranged a steering wheel 23 of which thc post-24 Ais revoluble and carries `the trolley wheel 20 adapted to be yielding-ly held in contact with Zthe surface of the trolley conductor 15 by means' of a coiled spring 25. The turning'of the steering wheel post may. be utilizedto deiiect the' trolley wheel 2O to control the direction of progress of the Cuff.

The car is supported tiltably at a central point, preferably arranged as nearly as pos-V sible under the center of gravity audits load by means ofa ball of relatively. large diameter and'for example of lignum vitae' constituting the driving element `l'and held in place in a race-26 consisting` ofa plurality of anti-friction balls 27 mounted Vin in suitable sockets 28 and obviously adapted to rotate in any direction. For thepurp'osc of impartingv a substantially regularrotary movement to the bearing ball forinducing progress of the car there is arranged'in contact with the peripheral surface' of said ball' a friction disk 29 disposed with its surface in' ay substantially horizontal plane and with its 'spindle 30 mounted' in suit-y able bearings in the frame of the car and carrying a worm gear 31 with which engages a drivingzworm 32 actuated by the motor and shown in the drawing` as constitutinga prolongation of the motor shaft 33. The worm 0r drive shaft is preferably` capable of movement independently ofthe motor shaft to permit ofyreversing the same, for which purpose a clutchy 34 is "provided for actuation by a hand lever 35 to which it is connected by a link 3G.

In order to maintain the frame of the car in a substantially horizontal position While permitting the universal rocking or tilting thereof Within prescribed limits, it is preferable to provide safety or bearing casters 37 kwhich are arranged above the plane of the bearing point of the ball forming the driving element, so that said safety rollers come in contact with the supporting surface only when the car is in a tilted position.

Around the platform 38 forming the base of the car frame which is preferably rounded or circular in plan is arranged a cushion 39 consisting for example of a pneumatic tire designedV to act as a fender for contact with the guards at the sides of the run-Way or track and with the other cars or carrying units occupying the track or run-Way. As a means for supporting the tire, the usual clincher rim is employed and secured to the base of the car in surrounding relation to the same. By the employment of a pneumatic fender, and particularly a tire, the

air pressure in the same may be varied and` thus provide for variations in the resilience of the fender, thus making for changes in the activity of the same as a bumping medium. v

In operation the ear unless very skillfully handled describes an irregular course due to the freedom of the spherical driving element to turn in any direction and constitutes the sole support when the car is in its normal or horizontal position, but obviously the steering means may be employed to control the direction of progress to a certain extent and to this end must be kept in contact With the supporting surface. There is preferably arranged a switch 40 included in the motor circuit in position for actuation by a foot pedal 4l Within reach of the occupant of the seat, so that the motor may be connected or disconnected from time to time at the will ofthe operator in an effort to control the progress and direction of movement of the car. Also the spindle 30 of the friction disk is preferably provided with an axial duct 4Q to serve as an oil feed,

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and useful is 2- l. A vehicle provided with a single globular traction element disposed at a point to support the bulk of the Weight of the vehicle, said element being power driven and having an uncontrolled axis of rotation.

2. A vehicle provided with a single globular traction element disposed at a point to support the bulk of the Weight of the vehiele said element being power driven and having its axis of rotation shiftable to obtain in any plane from the horizontal to the vertical.

3. A vehicle provided Witha single globular traction element disposed at a point to support the bulk of the Weight of the vehicle, said element being power driven and having an uncontrolled shifting axis of rotation Which may shift with respect to the vehicle to obtain in any plane from the horizontal to the vertical.

4. A vehicle provided with a single globular traction element disposed at a point to support the bulk of the Weight of the vehicle, and a motor propelled friction member in superficial contact with said element;

5. A vehicle provided with a single globular traction element disposed at a point to support thebulk of the Weight of the vehicle, and a motor propelledy friction member in superficial contact with said element at a point diametrically opposite the point of contact of said element with the surface traversed by it.

6. A vehicle provided With a single globular traction element disposed at a point to support the bulk of the Weight of the vehicle, said element being power driven and turning on a universal moving axis.

'7. A vehicle having a globular' supporting element turning on a universally movable axis and disposed below the center of gravity of the vehicle, means for driving said element, and safety bearing members carried by the vehicle outside of the center of gravity and arranged in a plane above the plane of the bearing point of the supporting element.

8. An amusement apparatus having an endless run-Way laterally bounded by guards, and a motor propelled car traversing the run-Way and having a spherical universally movable supporting and driving element actua-ble by a contacting motor driven friction disk and said car also being provided in eccentric relation with the driving element with a dirigible .n'larmally controllable steering roller.

9. An amusement apparatus having an endless run-way laterally bounded by guards, and a motor propelled car traversing the run-Way and having a spherical universally movable supporting and driving element actuable by a contacting motor driven friction disk and said car also being provided in eccentric rela-tion with the driving element with a dirigible manually controllable steering roller yieldingly impelled for continuous contact with the surfaceof the run-Way.

In testimony whereof they affix their signatures.

LEROY H. MGDANIEL. SAMUEL A. nu VVALTOFF. 

